Organizer and presenter Paul Metsa, himself a noted singer-songwriter, told the website that West – who moved to Minnesota after Hurricane Katrina hit his hometown – called and "talked about doing a benefit for the people of Flint." And the show was born.

Flint in the national spotlight

According to Time, the town's 100,000 residents are without access to clean drinking water, a situation that's "put Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder in the political hot seat and prompted an emergency declaration from President Obama."

The magazine says the water crisis began in 2014, when Flint switched its water source from Detroit to the Flint River as a cost-saving measure. As it turns out, the water from the river has high levels of chloride, a corrosive chemical which ate away at Flint's aging lead pipes, releasing the lead into the water supply.

The effects are especially damaging to children. One doctor tells the network that even low levels of lead can cause brain damage in kids. Those exposed to the element are at risk of multiple problems, including low IQ and developmental issues.